For Discrimination - by Randall Kennedy (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"A clear-eyed take on America's battle over affirmative action and diversity.... [Kennedy] goes straight at the issue with fearlessness and a certain cheekiness." --Los Angeles Times

"Compelling.... Powerful." --Wall Street Journal

What precisely is affirmative action, and why is it fiercely championed by some and just as fiercely denounced by others? Does it signify a boon or a stigma? Or is it simply reverse discrimination? What are its benefits and costs to American society? What are the exact indicia determining who should or should not be accorded affirmative action? When should affirmative action end, if it must?

Randall Kennedy gives us a concise and deeply personal overview of the policy, refusing to shy away from the myriad complexities of an issue that continues to bedevil American race relations.

Review Quotes

"Kennedy is one of our most important and perceptive writers on race and the law, and the mere fact that he wrote this book is all the justification necessary for reading it. For Discrimination is a heartfelt and tautly argued defense of affirmative action, a smart, concise refresher of the liberal position that is well worth the general reader's attention."
--Washington Post

"Refreshingly honest. . . . Beginning with its provocative title, For Discrimination is a profoundly honest work on a topic frequently marked by mendacity." --New Republic

"Kennedy offers a clear-eyed take on America's battle over affirmative action and diversity. . . . He goes straight at the issue with fearlessness and a certain cheekiness." --Los Angeles Times

"Compelling. . . . Powerful. . . . Rare intellectual honesty and fair-mindedness . . . Kennedy deftly presents the case against affirmative action--and explains why he supports it anyway." --Wall Street Journal

"Meticulously argued. . . . An illuminating, detailed argument in favor of affirmative action and its application via race-based methods . . . Kennedy vividly portrays Supreme Court decisions as malleable, subject to reinterpretation, and even reversal not only because of the makeup of the court but because of the changing tide of political circumstances and public opinion." --Boston Globe

"Kennedy's For Discrimination provides supporters of affirmative action with the penetrating, concise, coolheaded arguments for racial justice they've been waiting for." --Vanity Fair

"Remarkably astute and tough-minded. . . . Should be required reading for anyone interested in genuine equal opportunity in the United States." --Florida Courier

"This is an important book. Kennedy, who admits to having benefitted from affirmative action, will force a lot of long-needed conversations with his opinions, conversations for which he includes abundant, solid fodder. This book is about as far as you can get from a casual read, and should be approached with an open mind, general legal knowledge, and a good dictionary. If you can handle that, then go ahead and make For Discrimination yours." --Times Weekly

"Provocative. . . . Important. . . . For Discrimination offers a thorough analysis of the topic and leaves the reader feeling as though he or she has just left a lawyer's office having been briefed on the many perspectives on affirmative action within in the United States, and is now ready to testify in court." --PopMatters

"This is arguably the most clearheaded defense of affirmative action ever written. Kennedy's incisive analysis includes a compelling critique of a range of arguments by legal experts and social scientists on the pros and cons of affirmative action. In clear prose For Discrimination advances powerful arguments for sensibly defined affirmative action. This thoughtful book is a must-read for all Americans devoted to addressing past and current injustice." --William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Harvard University

"For Discrimination considers the definition and boundaries of affirmative action and why it is both championed and denounced in society, and is a fine pick for social issues and legal collections alike. It considers its benefits, costs, its impact on different racial groups, and provides a personal review of the policy and its many issues impacting American race relations. The result is a powerful assessment and history of affirmative action processes and perfect for classroom debate and discussion at both the high school and college levels." --California Bookwatch

"Required reading. . . . Kennedy knows where the nerve endings are in discussing the complexities of race in America . . . Admirably balanced and provocative." --Publishers Weekly

"Fair and tough-minded. . . . Kennedy continues his strong track record of making thorny conversations about race and the law accessible to general readers, discussing complicated issues and court cases in a lucid, forceful fashion." --Kirkus Reviews

"Kennedy addresses one of America's most contentious issues--affirmative action--on two fronts: the colorblind, race-neutral ideal and the need to address the impact of both past and contemporary racial discrimination. . . . A probing and well-considered look at the complexities of race relations and the continuing controversial issues of affirmative action in contemporary America." --Booklist

About the Author

Randall Kennedy is the Michael R. Klein Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton and his law degree from Yale. He attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and is a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. He is the author of five previous books, including Race, Crime, and the Law, for which he received the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. A member of the bars of the Supreme Court of the United States and the District of Columbia, and of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he lives in Massachusetts.